Great Wall Sunset Hike from Gubeikou to Jinshanling
(followed by gourmet dinner)

TOUR 1S2:  Fantastic Sunset Tour to the Oldest Parts of the Great Wall

Popularity Ranking:

*Ranked by the quantity of signups of all 1-day hiking routes.

Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools. -Napoleon Bonaparte

Beautiful sunset at Jinshanling. Photo & copyright by Duan Jiujun. Authorized use only. 2011

Highlight

Departure:

Our Great Wall hiking is a private service. What this means is that you can hike on the Great Wall at any time at your convenience. If you would much rather be part of a group for the experience for economic and social reasons, we'll check to see if there are more signups for the same date as your own. We'll keep you updated whenever there are more. If you would like to keep your tour a private one, please let us know and we'll assign you a guide and driver.

Gubeikou was a strategic fort to shield the funding in ancient times. Gubeikou, in addition to the passes at Shanhaiguan and also Juyongguan, was a crucial critical target in army campaigns since old times. Safeguarding these 3 passes was thought about essential for maintaining Beijing risk-free from the Mongolian nomads. The views of the sinuous Wall snaking its method over the ridges of the Yanshan are breathtaking. This section of the wall twists via the countryside and also mountains, as well as you will be rewarded by the surroundings along both the Gubeikou andJinshanlng areas.
.
In 1933, the Chinese military fought against Japanese invasion troops in Gubeikou. In the four-month-long battles, over 5,000 Japanese soldiers were killed while 9,000 Chinese soldiers died. It was outstanding that the old wall surface was still useful in World War II. Simply put, Gubeikou is not merely a relic however it remained a battlefield in the modern-day world. Today, there is still an armed forces setup in Gubeikou and we'll take a side path along the Wall to bypass that restricted area.

The Jinshanling Great Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage site, while partly brought back, is not nearly as crowded as Badaling or Mutianyu, allowing you to have extra intimate experience with the wall surface. Jinshanling is recognized for its several beautiful watchtowers, along with the means it winds and also snakes its way along the mountains. When you first get up on Jinshanling you will be shocked.

Gubeikou was a st

As a result of Simatai's long-term closure, our Jinshanling-Smatai treking route has actually been re-routed to currently be Gubeikou-Jinshanling. This course will certainly still consist of all things you like about the Great Wall- graceful watchtowers, spectacular brickwork, and difficult but invigorating Great Wall damages. Nevertheless, please be recommended that a portion of the Gubeikou Great Wall hinges in the middle of an armed forces base and also is thus prohibited to all non-military workers. To get around this prohibited location, we will disembark the wall and also walk this restricted zone and afterward trek back onto the Great Wall where it is open to the public. Please be encouraged that this detour will possibly take us around 1.5-2 hrs. This provision relates to all walkers that intend to trek from Gubeikou into Jinshanling, with no exceptions. We apologize for this inconvenience, and we thank you for your understanding.

While other companies bus you from section to section, Great Wall Adventure Club lets you personally experience the majesty of the Great Wall by allowing you to physically pass from one section to the next. In contrast to driving across, this lets you see the differences between the restored, maintained, section on one side and the radically different "wild wall" on the other.

"Our tour guide, Rene, was the best! She is a wonderful person! She was also very knowledgeable about the different places she took us to.-Margaret Schroeder, New Jersey" 
For more testimonials, please click here

Detailed Hiking Itinerary: (12 km/8 miles on mountain, 4.5 - 6 hours of hiking)

In order for us to catch the sundown over the Great Wall, we'll begin our excursion a little late today. You will certainly be gotten from your hotel between 10 and also 11 am (wintertime and also summertime), and also from there, we'll clear out to the Gubeikou Great Wall. Gubeikou Great Wall inhabits a tactically important location, which is difficult to access. Positioned between Shanhaiguan Pass and also Juyongguan Pass, and regarding 62 miles to Beijing, it is the bastion protecting the north gateway to the resources. There are 14 beacon towers, 143 watchtowers, 16 calculated pass, 3 castles, and several various other military buildings and constructions. A number of them are well-known cultural relics, such as the Large Flower Sign Tower of the Northern Qi Empire, Fairy Tower, General Tower, and the dominant Wangjing Tower.   After walking on Gubeikou we will cross over to Jinshanling. Much of the treking that we will do on Jinshanling today is reasonably simple, as much of the wall surface below is restored and the surface area smooth. Jinshanling has 5 primary passes as well as 67 watchtowers. Every 100 meters (328 feet), there is an adversary tower each of which has to do with ten meters (33 feet) high. Featuring numerous frameworks as well as having numerous functions, those watchtowers are either one tiered or two-tiered. Amongst them, the most celebrated are the Large and Small Jinshan Watchtowers. The Wangjinglou Tower, the General Tower, the Black Tower, as well as the Taochun Tower are likewise must-sees on the Jinshanling Great Wall. Each tower has its tale. Tale has it that the stone bars used to construct the Wangjinglou Tower were carried to the mountaintop by Emergency room Lang Shen, the nephew of the Jade Emperor. The general tower was called to commemorate Wu Guihua, a heroine who sacrificed herself to withstand north intruder's invasion in the Ming Empire. The Black Tower as well as the Taochun Tower were christened to commemorate two girls, Heigu and Taochun, who made terrific contributions to the building and construction of the Great Wall     Before we climb down, we'll remain in order to watch the sunset over the Great Wall. This experience will be a nature enthusiast's delight and is also an excellent chance for pictures. After getting down the wall we'll have dinner at a neighboring guesthouse. The homemaker below is mosting likely to serve you Kong Pao Chicken, Stewed beef and also potato, Eco-friendly Pepper and also Pork, Fried Tofu in Spicy Sauce, Fried Egg Tomato, Sweet and Sour Hen, and also veggies (terrific for vegetarians), and soup. What's more crucial is that all the vegetables she utilizes are planted in his very own yard, so it is organic as well as fresh!   Following dinner we’ll drive back to Beijing, where you will be dropped off at your hotel, ending your tour. If you are catching a flight or train, we'll send you to the airport or station with an modest fee.



Note: Please remember to bring your own snacks and the following:

* Tough hiking boots, sunscreen and sunglasses
* Backpack, and snacks or energy/protein supplements you want to have before dinner
* Extra cash for driver/guide tips
* Don’t forget your camera!

Included

The price includes entrance fees to all the gates of the Wall for this trip, transfer both ways and fee for expert English-speaking guide who will escort you throughout the way and share his/her knowledge about the Great Wall with you.